Star Wars Republic Commando – XB – Review

Every time a
new Star Wars film comes out, I say to myself, "This [action sequence] would
make for a great videogame." Then Star Wars Starfighter came out – it was
good, but not great. Then Clone Wars came out – again, it’s a good game, but
not great. The next time my brain started to go to that "if only this were a
videogame" place, I stopped myself before anticipation could be raised. Star
Wars could make for a lot of great, must-play games, but the outcome is
usually less rewarding than the concept we get excited about.

The bad luck
streak ends with Star Wars Republic Commando. A well-designed first-person
shooter with excellent levels, exciting missions, and several basic
squad-based tactics, Republic Commando puts you in the shoes of a
highly-skilled clone of Jango Fett. You control one and influence the others
(not with Jedi mind tricks unfortunately). Referred to as Clonetroopers, these
clones are a lot more intelligent than Attack of the Clones may have had you
believe. And they’re more fun to control than a barrel of Wookiees.

Starting at
the end of Episode II, your mission begins with the republic commandos’ (Clonetroopers)
journey to Geonosis. Droids and alien bugs guard the parameter, dreaming of
the day when they can sink their teeth into fresh clone flesh. Fighting makes
up the bulk of the game. You have differing mission objectives, but you’re a
commando. It wouldn’t be right if you spent your life serving humans by fixing
broken ships. Isn’t that what the droids are supposed to be doing?

“We’re ready for the Clone Wars. Are you?”

In every
room and down nearly every corridor is a droid or some other adversary
determined to terminate your mission. Interestingly, as easy as it is to die,
it’s possible to revive all three of your teammates. If you die, it’s possible
for them to revive you. The only time a Clonetrooper can’t be revived is if
you fall off a cliff (something that not even Senator Palpatine can survive),
or if you and all of your teammates have been killed.

The first
reaction to this feature might be one of skepticism and raised eyebrows, but
it makes the game so much more intense. As battle droids and super battle
droids zero in their targets (you and your teammates), you move as fast as you
can, trying to stay covered while hoping to be able to revive your teammates.
In some cases you can draw the enemies away from the area, luring them into a
trap. When the area’s clear you can return, revive your comrades and move
forward. You don’t always get this luxury. Ammo isn’t always plentiful. There
won’t always be a republic gunship to save the day.

Instead of
health packs, republic commandos use health terminals. I don’t remember
anything like this in the movies, but it appears that Clonetroopers never die,
they just lose energy that must be replenished in order to continue
functioning. Stormtroopers were never this reliable. It kind of makes you
wonder why Darth Vader chose to go with them instead of a Grand Army of the
Republic. We’ll know on May 19th.

Do as you’re told!
Disable it already!

The best
thing about Republic Commando is the same thing that we praise when talking
about Halo 2: the controls. They’re so smooth, so polished. It’s not like
you’re controlling a first-person shooter, it’s more akin to a simulator that
reacts perfectly to your every move. PC gamers might complain that the
character movement is slower than many of the frantic, PC-exclusive titles,
but the action is no less severe. It’s no less intense or any less rewarding.
If Bungie were to make a Star Wars game, its single-player mode would be very
close to what LucasArts has created.

Squad
commands are brief, reliable, and easy to execute. The D-pad is normally your
weapon change function, but hold down the A button and it will allow you to
give orders. The three standard maneuvers are: form up (follow the captain);
secure area (stay within the area and fight all enemies); and search and
destroy (aggressively pursue the objective and kill all enemies). You can also
tell your teammates to focus their attention on one particular enemy. Icons
appear whenever a specific action needs to be taken (example: you must blow up
a few boulders to get to the next area). Press the A button while aiming at
the icon and one of your teammates will do whatever is required. The same is
true for health terminals.

Stormtroopers were never this sophisticated.

If there
ever was a Star Wars shooter that was a must-own, this is it. Republic
Commando combines the greatness of a high-quality first-person shooter with
the coolness, greatness and overall Forcefulness of the Star Wars saga.

Review Scoring Details for Star Wars Republic Commando

Gameplay: 9.0
Star Wars
Republic Commando is no clone. It stars four clones, that’s true. But the
polished gameplay, the incredible environments (many of which were taken from
the films), and the intricate dialogue between Clonetroopers is not something
you experience everyday, not even from other Star Wars games. I’d like to give
a big hand and an even bigger thanks to the programmers, testers, and everyone
else who took the time to make the controls as perfect as they could possibly
be. You’ll want to thank them too the minute you feel The Force of Republic
Commando.

Graphics: 9.0

Spectacular-looking environments from Episodes II and III. Every character,
every animation, every background, etc., was superbly designed. The black and
white "low light" visor effect is an awesome alternative to the green screen
that’s normally used for night vision goggles.

More
impressive than all of that is when a scripted, real-time event occurs. Star
Wars fans will go nuts for these.

Sound: 8.5
The music of the
Saga; the voice-overs of Clonetroopers. Your ears won’t be overwhelmed with
amazement, but they won’t go unsatisfied by the sounds of a galaxy far, far
away.

Difficulty: Medium
Less challenging
than Halo, and not nearly as difficult as other top-tier squad-based shooters,
Republic Commando is a grand action game that was designed for all to enjoy.
Everyone will beat it – only the pros will master it.

Concept: 8.5
(Opens cook book)
Let’s see, the recipe calls for lots of action, beautiful graphics,
squad-based elements that don’t take a century to learn, and control mechanics
that are extremely polished. Hmmm, I don’t know if I have all the right
ingredients…

"Here, take
this." (I’m handed a copy of Star Wars Republic Commando.)

Wow, this is
incredible! It’s got every listed ingredient! Thank you mysterious game-giving
wizard!

"Anytime."

Multiplayer: 8.0
Split-screen
multiplayer for four; online and system link for up to 20! Multiplayer
environments look amazing and are pretty expansive. The combat isn’t as varied
or as intense as Halo (did you really expect it to be?), but it’s still an
entertaining way to share the fun with a friend (or 19 of them!).

Overall: 8.8
Although Star
Wars Republic Commando’s story centers on four key Clonetroopers, the whole
galaxy is at war. You never know when you might see a droid flyer crash into a
mountain, or see a republic gunship come to your rescue when the mission goes
awry. While you’re intently focused on your goals, many things happen that you
have no control over. There are many sights (like the Death Star-type ships
the Geonosians use) that you might not even notice. It’s these elements, the
great controls and non-stop droid blasting that make this one of the best Star
Wars shooters ever made. It truly feels like a part of the Star Wars universe,
and is a great way to stay strong with The Force until Episode III arrives.